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ARB Newsclips for March 25, 2014.
This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
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individual websites to view some of the following news articles.
CAP AND TRADE
China's Hubei province to launch carbon market on Apr 2. China's
central Hubei province will launch its carbon trading market on
April 2, its emissions exchange said Tuesday, a move that could
cap carbon dioxide emissions from nearly 140 of its biggest
companies. The Hubei market will be China's sixth of seven
planned regional emissions trading schemes as the world's
biggest-emitting nation steps up its efforts to limit its impact
on climate change. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/25/china-carbon-carbontrading-idUSL4N0MM1FQ20140325
Public support for state-level climate policy has declined since
2008 – report. Public enthusiasm for state-level climate change
policies has waned in recent years as rhetoric denying the role
of humans in warming the planet has intensified and the federal
government has taken the lead in tackling greenhouse gas
emissions. The peak in public support for state climate policies
came in the fall of 2008, according to a report released
yesterday from the National Surveys on Energy and
Environment…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996663/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
AIR POLLUTION
Polluted air linked to 7 million deaths in 2012 – WHO. Air
pollution killed about 7 million people in 2012, making it the
world's single biggest environmental health risk, the World
Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. The toll, a doubling
of previous estimates, means one in eight of all global deaths in
2012 was linked to polluted air and shows how reducing pollution
inside and outside of people's homes could save millions of lives
in future, the United Nations health agency said. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_MED_POLLUTION_DEATHS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USL5N0ML2TY20140325
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/who-pollution-kills-7-million-people-every-year/2014/03/24/8bd2f39a-b3b1-11e3-bab2-b9602293021d_story.html
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/03/20140325-who.html
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/mar/24/who-pollution-kills-7-million-people-every-year/#ixzz2wzbeDMEK
Eleven EU nations exceed air pollution ceilings: EEA. Eleven
European Union nations breached ceilings for air pollution in
2012 despite plans to avert health-damaging smog of the sort that
choked Paris this month, the European Environment Agency (EEA)
said on Monday. The number rose from 10 in 2011, with the
addition of Malta to the list of states above national limits set
for at least one of four pollutants from sources including
industry and cars. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/24/us-pollution-idUSBREA2N0Z220140324
China's face mask industry under scrutiny as pollution worsens.
Chinese citizens are feverishly snapping up face masks as
worsening air pollution fuels a multi-million dollar industry
where many products fail to provide even basic protection,
drawing calls for better oversight and standards. The country's
worsening air quality is at the top of the list of concerns of
China's stability-obsessed leaders…Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USBREA2O0GI20140325
China says polluting industry still growing too fast, heavy smog
alert for Beijing. China's energy-hungry, high-polluting
industries continued to grow too fast in 2013, putting "huge
pressures" on the environment and causing air quality to worsen,
the country's pollution agency said on Tuesday. Premier Li
Keqiang "declared war" on pollution in a major policy address
this month, but China has long struggled to strike a balance
between protecting the environment and keeping up economic
growth. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USBREA2O0BZ20140325
UPDATE 1-China's Hangzhou latest city to restrict car sales.
China's eastern city of Hangzhou will start restricting car sales
from Wednesday, joining major cities, including Shanghai and
Beijing, in the fight against snarling traffic and heavy smog in
the world's largest automobile market. The Hangzhou government
said on Tuesday the curbs would take effect while it canvassed
public opinion on details of the move. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USL4N0MM2YZ20140325
Murray Energy sues EPA, alleges law noncompliance. An Ohio-based
coal operator is suing the head of the Environmental Protection
Agency, claiming that the agency has failed to comply with the
Clean Air Act's requirement to evaluate the potential impact of
its regulatory actions on employment. "The Administrator has no
discretion to avoid or limit its obligation to continuously
evaluate the employment impacts of EPA's administration and
enforcement of the Clean Air Act," Murray Energy's lawsuit
states. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Murray-Energy-sues-EPA-alleges-law-noncompliance-5347430.php
CO2 concentrations reach 400 ppm 2 months earlier this year. In
May 2013, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at Hawaii's
famed Mauna Loa observatory hit 400 parts per million for the
first time. This year, it only took until March. "We have had
five [days over 400 ppm] in the last week," said Pieter Tans, a
senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, who monitors the readings. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996651/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate scientists in Japan to study warming risks. Along with
the enormous risks global warming poses for humanity are
opportunities to improve public health and build a better world,
scientists gathered in Yokohama for a climate change conference
said Tuesday. The hundreds of scientists from 100 countries
meeting in this Japanese port city are putting finishing touches
on a massive report emphasizing the gravity of the threat the
changing climate poses…Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/climate-scientists-in-japan-to-study-warming-risks/2014/03/24/dcc2ffb0-b3cb-11e3-bab2-b9602293021d_story.html
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/mar/25/climate-scientists-in-japan-to-study-warming/#ixzz2wzc7ZeyS
World agriculture 'dangerously unprepared' for climate change –
report. The global food system is "dangerously unprepared" for
the onslaught of climate change, according to a new report that
finds food prices could double by 2030, with rising global
temperatures and extreme weather events largely responsible. The
Oxfam study comes as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) prepares to release new findings that food supplies
and the global economy will be a victim of rising sea
levels…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996667/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
DROUGHT
California drought: Silicon Valley cities and farms hit with new
water cutbacks. In the latest sign that California's historic
drought is having a worsening impact on Silicon Valley, the
region's largest water provider is putting in place unprecedented
cutbacks this spring on cities, farmers and its own efforts to
recharge groundwater supplies. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_25411117/california-drought-silicon-valley-cities-and-farms-hit?source=rss
DIESEL EMISSIONS
Uruguay’s Public Transport Goes Electric. Uruguay plans to
gradually replace oil-based fuels with electric energy in its
public transport system, and is currently assessing the costs and
benefits of the shift. Tests indicate that the running costs of
electric buses can be six- to eight-fold lower than for diesel
buses. For the last two years, studies have been under way on the
potential benefits of adding electric vehicles to the public
transport fleet in Montevideo, where half the country’s 3.3
million people live. Posted.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/03/uruguays-public-transport-goes-electric/
FUELS
Infographic: U.S. oil production outpaces imports. For the first
time since 1995, U.S. oil production surpassed oil imports,
according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Predictions are that the trend will continue, eliminating the
'oil deficit' between what we drill ourselves and what we take
in, and making the U.S. the number one oil producer in the world
by 2020. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/la-cod-energy-exports-20140317-dto,0,4331048.htmlstory#ixzz2wzWR58VM
Omnitrans to study possible risk of natural gas storage.
Community fears regarding liquefied natural gas and compressed
natural gas storage at the Omnitrans facility on the Westside
spurred an agreement Monday to hire a consultant to study the
potential danger. Officials told the operations and safety
committee of the Omnitrans board that the two 30,000-gallon
liquefied natural gas tanks and smaller amounts of compressed
natural gas have been stored in compliance…Posted.
http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20140324/omnitrans-to-study-possible-risk-of-natural-gas-storage
FRACKING
Are New Fracking Regulations in California Enough? California is
instituting what some are calling the toughest regulations in the
nation for the controversial oil extraction process known as
hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. But some say the regulations
don't go far enough and instead want a ban. Posted.
http://www.capradio.org/20628
Another Calif. city moves toward fracking moratorium. A suburban
Los Angeles city last night took a significant step toward
blocking unconventional oil drilling, making it the third in
recent weeks to make such a move. The City Council in Culver
City, located about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles,
in a 5-0 vote directed aides to come back with language for a
moratorium on oil drilling that uses hydraulic fracturing, or
"fracking"; gravel packing; or acidization. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059996669/print BY
SUBSCRIPITON ONLY
VEHICLES
Car Companies Take Expertise in Battery Power Beyond the Garage.
As more homeowners generate their own electricity from solar
panels, they still need power from a utility after the sun goes
down. Now, automakers say they may have an answer, by storing
that carbon-free energy in electric car batteries for later use.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/business/car-companies-take-expertise-in-battery-power-beyond-the-garage.html?_r=2
Quietest road race ever? Croatia hosts electric vehicle rally in
May. Nikola Tesla would be proud. In May, Croatia will host its
first electric car rally that winds from the northern coast to
the capital Zagreb through some of the country's most scenic
spots. The route includes a visit to electricity pioneer Tesla's
hometown too. The Nikola Tesla EV Rally 2014 starts May 27 and
will be divided into five legs that cover some 530 miles. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trb-croatia-electric-car-road-rally-20140318,0,6007550.story#ixzz2x00SRl6d
GREEN ENERGY
Siemens to Invest $264 Million in British Wind Turbine Project.
Siemens, the German power and industrial giant, said on Tuesday
that it would build facilities for offshore wind turbines off the
east coast of England, as Britain rapidly expands its wind-power
generation. Siemens plans to invest about 160 million pounds, or
about $264 million, in the production and installation
facilities. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/business/international/siemens-to-invest-264-million-in-british-wind-turbine-project.html?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry830%23%2Fgreen%2Benergy%2F24hours%2F
MISCELLANEOUS
Electronic cigarettes may not help people stop smoking: study. A
small U.S. study raises new questions about whether using
electronic cigarettes will lead people to quit smoking, adding to
the debate over how tightly the products should be regulated.
The study, which looked at the habits of 88 smokers who also used
e-cigarettes, was published as a research letter in the journal
JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USBREA2N1JT20140324
25 years later, have we learned anything from the Exxon Valdez?
Some lessons take a long time to sink in. The Exxon Valdez
disaster, which occurred 25 years ago this week when the oil
tanker struck a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound, was both
the product of previous lessons unlearned and the source of new
lessons that continue to be overlooked. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-exxon-valdez-20140325,0,280616.story#ixzz2wzXBX0TN
OPINIONS
Letters: Keep fossil fuels in the ground. Re "Energy boom may
augur a new export era," March 23. Every dollar invested to
expand the use of fossil fuels here or abroad is a bad
investment. Spending a single penny or drilling any new wells to
find more dirty energy is wrongheaded. We have more fossil fuels
in the ground than we can afford to burn. To avoid a climate
catastrophe, most of that dirty energy must remain where it is.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-le-0325-tuesday-energy-boom-20140325,0,3657482,print.story
BLOGS
Climate Change Art: That Sinking Feeling. I apologize for 10
days of blog silence while I co-led our Pace University
documentary production class on a filmmaking trip in Brazil. Now
comes crunch time as we shift to editing mode. The film will
describe efforts in three places — Ilha Grande, Paraty and Rio de
Janeiro — to make sure the benefits of tourism aren’t exceeded by
the environmental and social costs. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/climate-change-art-that-sinking-feeling/?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry830%23%2Fclimate%2Bchange%2F24hours%2F
Fomm Concept One is a floating EV for dangerous times. Somewhat
reminiscent of the all-electric Rinspeed sQuba concept from the
2008 Geneva Motor Show, the new Fomm Concept One is an electric
car with a bit of buoyancy. This Japanese car is being billed not
only as the "world's smallest class four-seater electric
vehicle," but also as an EV that floats and "even moves on water
surface." In other words, this thing is kind of a boat. And for
good reason. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/03/24/fomm-concept-one-is-a-floating-ev-for-dangerous-times/
Compliance Car Update: Which Electric Cars Are Loss Leaders? The
Fiat 500e is perhaps the most critically lauded new all-electric
vehicle that arrived in 2013. It's received rave reviews from
unlikely sources, like buff-book magazines—even from Consumer
Reports. There's reportedly been a long waiting list for these
cars, with a $199/month lease deal and, yes, even some reports of
markups. Posted.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1091059_compliance-car-update-which-electric-cars-are-loss-leaders
California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.